Motorizado nation

With the transformation of the Venezuelan landscape in recent decades, the figure of the motorcyclist (motorizado) has become almost omnipresent not only in the largest cities, but also right in the countryside.

Last December, while travelling to Merida through the TrasAndina roadway, the car made a technical stop in Barinitas. During that brief time I could see how motorcycles outnumber cars in the streets by 3-to-1.

This is not only a matter of public health alone, but also one which is related to our public safety: many of the crimes committed (an expert put it around 90%) nationwide somehow involves a motorcyclist, either as the main perpetrator or as an accomplice. There are stories of motorizados following people out of banks and taking their money, or robberies in crowded roads in the middle of rush hour. Even when they’re laying one of them to rest.